When brothers Maurice and Jhirmaine Williams walked into a convenience store about a year ago, they saw Jermaine Roberson serenading a woman. The brothers, who have been singing together since childhood, did what seemed right.

“We actually jumped in and harmonized with him a little bit,” said Jhirmaine Williams.

It was the start of a musical partnership. In the months since, the trio has become a harmonious fixture on River Street, performing under the name M2J.

Often stationed just east of the Hyatt Regency, M2J grabs the attention of passersby with a cappella renditions of familiar tunes such as the “Family Guy” theme, “A Lion Sleeps Tonight,” “Stand By Me” and gospel melodies.

In some respects, the work is seasonal. Predictably, the trio earns more money when singing during peak tourist season.

Though they harbor ambitions of making it big, the members of M2J still have day jobs. Maurice Williams, 32, is a cook, Jhirmaine Williams, 20, hosts at a restaurant and Roberson, 27, studies welding at Savannah Technical College.

Winning a local “X Factor” audition competition last year set their sights on the spotlight. They headed to Greensboro, N.C., for the next stage in auditions, making it into the top 150 groups before getting cut.

“At the time, it was a great feeling to realize that we were the best talent in Savannah on that day, and that we were going to showcase what Savannah had to offer on a national scale,” Jhirmaine Williams said. “Now, in retrospect, we never got the opportunity to be on a national scale. We still represented Savannah, but it was just like what we do every day: Go somewhere, sing, come back home.”

Though being cut got them in a bit of a funk, all three agreed it helped them get prepared for what’s coming next.

“It humbled us as well,” Roberson said.

In a few weeks, they’ll be headed to Hollywood to take part in a national singing competition show. Maurice Williams said he was not at liberty to name the show or the network, but that it’s expected to air this fall.

In May, they’ll fly out to Omaha, Neb., to take part in Playing with Fire, a Memorial Day concert. M2J will join funk and soul group Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, among others, for the concert beside the Nebraska River. The opportunity came about after someone associated with the concert heard them sing while in Savannah.

“It’s our first serious cash performance,” Maurice Williams said.

Just as appealing to the trio, however, is that they’ll have the opportunity to walk around representing Savannah and singing off the stage, too.

“We can go around and do what we’re used to,” Jhirmaine Williams said. “We’ll mingle with the Nebraska fans, and get us a little Omaha fan club.”